365 Days
by iloveromance
Summary: Niles plans a unique celebration for Daphne to celebrate a very special day.
1. Chapter 1

Niles was ecstatic. He'd been planning for this day for as long as he could remember. No, longer than that; he'd been planning for this day subconsciously his entire life. He just didn't realize how wonderful getting here would be. And although it was hard to believe, the day had finally arrived.

He still regretted his actions from the beginning of their relationship but even so he wouldn't trade one second of the past year. This wasn't their real anniversary, not in the sense that one might think of an anniversary. That day had long since passed. They had celebrated accordingly with dinner, flowers and plenty of romance. But this anniversary meant more; so much more. And because of that fact, Niles knew that he couldn't treat it lightly. It had to be special, unique, something that neither he nor Daphne would ever forget.

He began devising his plan right away, conferring with Frasier, his father and even Roz trying to come up with the perfect celebration. And finally after lots of hard work (and even more secrecy) everything had fallen into place. The only thing left to do was to present it to his love.

He said nothing as he arrived home from work but it was hard to hide his grin and his enthusiasm. He was more than sure that Daphne would love what he'd planned. His heart beating rapidly, he put down his briefcase and removed his coat, making his way to the fainting couch.

His love was sitting there, her feet propped up on a throw pillow, engrossed in a romance novel. The colorful cover depicted a broad shouldered and very muscular man with flowing brown hair, entangled in the arms of a lean and very beautiful woman with red hair that wasn't much longer than her male companion's. Across the picture were the words _Love's Passion_ written in bold red script.

Niles chuckled. " _Love's Passion_ indeed."

He hadn't realized that he'd spoken aloud until he saw her lower her book and look up at him, smiling. She rose from the fainting couch and went to him.

"Niles, how long have you been standing there watching me?"

He grinned. "Long enough to see how beautiful you are. But it only took me a second to see that."

She smiled and softly cradled his cheeks in her hands, kissing him softly. "You're so sweet. And I love you so much."

"I love you too, Daphne. You have no idea-." But one touch of her lips on his and he knew he couldn't let go. His arms went around her and he kissed her deeply, with everything he had, leaving them both dizzy. She drew back stumbling slightly. But she teetered enough for him to gently grab her forearm to steady her. And once she stopped swaying, her expression was one of disbelief. He knew exactly what she was thinking. He'd never kissed her like that before. And now he wondered why he'd been holding out for so long.

It took her a moment to speak. "N-Niles… what was that for?"

He shrugged, making sure that his grin remained. "No reason. Just wanted to let you know that I love you."

His comment drew her into his arms even further and he was content to hold her close, kissing her in much the same way he'd kissed her just moments before. But now she returned the kiss in tenfold. And it was he who staggered slightly as the kiss ended.

"I love you too, Sweetheart." She was saying; her voice trembling. She blinked; revealing what he already knew was coming, as it always accompanied her quivering voice.

He cupped her cheek in his hand and brushed the tell-tale tear from her eyes, but let his hand linger on her soft skin.

"I have a surprise for you." He said, feeling relief at finally being able to tell her at least that much.

She laughed. "Niles, another surprise?"

This confused him. "What do you mean, _another_? I haven't even-."

"You're always giving me such wonderful things, taking me on wonderful vacations… how can I ever forget our trip to Belize, or the jewelry, candy, restaurants, flowers… things I don't deserve."

"Of course you deserve them. You deserve the world, Daphne. But since I can't give you that; not tonight anyway, I have something else for you."

"All right. I can hardly wait to see what this surprise is."

"Well, it won't be ready for a while, so we'll just have to think of a way to pass the time until it is."

She grinned mischievously, trailing her finger across his lips. "Hmm… I can think of something. That is if you don't mind."

He licked his dry lips, his eyes moving toward the second floor of their home, where just a few feet away was their bed. And suddenly he felt incredibly shy. What was wrong with him? Wasn't it he who had initiated this burst of romance?

"M-Mind? Of course I don't mind. W-why would you think-."

She stopped him with a fiery kiss. "Mm mm. I was hoping you'd say that. Come, my darling."

His heart beating madly, he followed her up the stairs where his maddening desire for her would soon be fulfilled. And oh, how he wanted her, more than he realized.

 **A/N: Thank you for reading Ch 1. Reviews are appreciated.**


	2. Chapter 2

The touch of her lips on his bare chest lulled him awake. His eyes opened and he turned his head just as her lips met his.

His heart beating rapidly at the sight of her. "Good morning, angel." Dear God she was so incredibly beautiful. And she was his. How was that possible?

She laughed and kissed his chest once more. "Niles, it's hardly morning. It's dark outside, see?" She pointed to the large window where he could see the full moon surrounded by stars and a few feathery clouds.

"So it is.." he whispered, as they kissed again… and again. "Goodnight, then."

She laughed again. "It _was_ a good night, wasn't it? It was wonderful, in fact."

He glanced at his alarm clock, relieved to find that only a few hours had passed. But chided himself for not making certain that he was awake in plenty of time. He'd have to remember to thank Daphne appropriately for taking care of that. It would have been a disaster if they had slept any longer. But after what they'd done to wear themselves out, it was perfectly understandable. And he was quite sure that Roz, Frasier and even his father would completely understand.

Now his heart beat even faster. It was time.

"Yes it was wonderful… exquisite. In fact, I've never experienced such pleasure in my life." he said, tilting his head slightly as she knelt beside him, wrapped her arms around him and kissed him everywhere.

"It was wonderful." She repeated. "So wonderful, that I'd like to do it again, three or four more times, if you're willing."

He could hardly contain himself. He was wiling all right, more than willing. He wanted her now. His lips met hers in another fiery kiss that was filled with passion and he pulled her on top of him. The feeling of her soft skin next to his was nothing short of heaven. And oh how he wanted to make love to her one more time… Actually, make that several more times.

But first things first.

Reluctantly, he moved away from her and propped his elbow on the bed, looking at her intently. He could tell that she was a bit hurt by his actions, but he'd make sure to make it up to her. "We will, my love, I promise. But first I have something to show you."

Her eyes sparkled; the initial hurt seemed to have melted away. "Oh, right. Me surprise. How could I have forgotten? I'll get dressed."

"Mind if I watch?"

She laughed and hit him playfully with her pillow. "Niles…" And then as though to tease him, she climbed out of bed and pulled on her robe in a slow, sensual manner, affording him once last glance at her perfect, Venus-like body. And then she turned and went to the bed, crawling upon it, moving catlike toward him where she kissed him sensually. The kiss made him crazy with need for her and it was all he could do not to forgo his original plan and take her to the place that made them both happiest. But he couldn't do that. He'd waited too long for this day to pass them by.

She climbed off the bed and turned around. "I'll be right back, sweetheart."

"Don't be long." He called to her as she disappeared into the bathroom.

Once again he tried to quell the desire to forgo the surprise and make love to her yet again, with the promise of exceeding her expectations to infinity. But as tempting as it was, it wasn't fair to either of them. And he knew that there would be plenty of time for lovemaking later.

He rose from the bed as quickly as he could and got dressed. He chose his wardrobe carefully; a pair of khaki pants and a button down shirt. It was more casual than he'd intended but to wear too much might give away the surprise.

A glance in the mirror told him that he'd chosen well. All that was left to do was add a touch of cologne. Now he needed to make sure that everything was in order. He picked up the phone and walked into the hallway, where his voice would be out of earshot.

"Hello, George? This is Niles Crane. Yes, I'm fine thank you. I was just calling to make sure…Oh good. And listen George, I really and truly appreciate this. You have no idea how much. I know that Frasier and Roz and even my dad helped out as well, but you've done more than you can imagine. No, you have and I'm eternally grateful. All right… Daphne? She's getting ready but she has no idea what's in store for her. I'll bring her up in a little while. Okay, thank you again, George. Goodbye…What? Oh, yes, I'll let you know how it goes. Goodbye."

Relieved that his often-chatty doorman chose to end the conversation rather quickly, Niles hung up the phone and smiled in satisfaction. This night was going to be absolutely perfect. And he could hardly wait to reveal his surprise.

 **A/N: Thank you for reading Ch 2. Reviews are appreciated.**


	3. Chapter 3

At the sound of the door opening, Niles whirled around to find himself looking at a breathtaking sight. His mouth fell open and it took every ounce of strength that he had inside of him not to take the vision into his arms and ravish her right then and there. But even if he'd wanted to (and oh, how he wanted to), his feet simply wouldn't move.

He was completely frozen, captivated, mesmerized by the sight of her.

"Daphne…"

She looked down at her floral dress; it was one that he'd never seen before, with a cream background and tiny blue and yellow flowers. And when her eyes returned to his, her beautiful smile faded, like a flower closing for the winter. "Oh, I didn't realize…"

"Realize what? God, Daphne, you look…."

Her smile returned and she went to him, her fingers lightly touching his cheek. "You look so handsome."

His cheek burned, but he couldn't tell whether it was from her touch or from the compliment and he covered her hand with his, moving his head slightly to kiss her fingers.

"Thank you, Daphne."

"Perhaps I should change me clothes."

The suggested surprised him. "What? Why? No, don't do that. Please don't change your clothes. Wh-why would you-."

"Because you look so handsome in your blue blazer and khaki pants; you always have. And I'm just-."

He took her into his arms and kissed her in much the same way that he'd kissed her earlier. And once again the kiss left them both dizzy. But this time he kept his hands firmly around her, not about to let her fall. "You're stunning Daphne. You're absolutely beautiful. A vision. I've never seen anything more beautiful in my life."

She laughed melodically. "Niles, you always say things like that!"

His lips met hers. "Because it's always true."

Now it was she who blushed. "Niles…"

He took her hand in his and caressed it. "Come with me, my love. There's something I want to show you."

Together they walked to the living room where he removed her coat from the coat rack and then slipped on his own coat. "It might be a bit chilly."

"Niles, where are we going?"

He smiled and kissed her softly. "You'll see."

The elevator doors opened and they stepped inside, sharing more sweet, passionate kisses as they were whisked to the top floor. The doors opened revealing the entry to the rooftop and his heart pounded with eagerness. He grasped her fingers in his. This was the moment he'd been waiting for.

They walked out onto the brick-tiled rooftop, the one that was much more elaborate than Frasier's balcony at the Elliott Bay Towers (Although that particular rooftop held fond memories of its own. And as soon as they moved to the center of the rooftop, Daphne gasped. "Oh Niles, what have you done?"

He smiled in satisfaction, for everything was just the way he'd imagined it to be. George was sure to get an extra-special tip for all of his hard work and he made a mental note to do something special for his dad, his father and for Roz. They'd all done so much more than he could have ever imagined. He was so deep in thought that he barely noticed the soft pair of lips against his cheek and the warm breath in his ear. "Niles, did you hear me?" She whispered. "What is all of this?"

He took in the sight before him; the tiny white lights were strung across the rooftop, softly illuminating a table adorned with candles and a crisp white tablecloth. And the aroma of the carefully prepared food wafted under his nose.

"Dinner is served." He said, escorting Daphne to the table. "May I?"

She smiled and nodded. "Yes, please. Thank you."

When she was seated, her cloth napkin in her lap, he poured her some wine and then sat down opposite her. Almost on cue, Henri, the waiter from one of his favorite restaurants, Chez Henri appeared with a large tray. "Here you are, Dr. and Mrs. Crane."

"Oh, that smells wonderful." Daphne said.

As soon as they were served, they both began devouring their dinner. "Oh, Niles this is delicious. I know you're a wonderful cook, but I didn't realize that you could make things like this."

His smile disappeared and he felt a little unease. "I-I'm sorry Daphne. This is catered from Chez Henri. Y-you don't mind do you?"

She stood and went to him, softly kissing his lips. "Niles, sweetheart, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. Of course it's all right. It's wonderful but what's the occasion?"

He smiled, watching her return to her seat and poured her another glass of wine. "I propose a toast."

"All right. What shall we toast to?"

"To us, and the most wonderful three-hundred and sixty five days of my life."

"Niles, it's not our anniversary today. Our anniversary is-."

"In May, I know. But tonight is very special to me, Daphne. And I did all of this for you to say I'm sorry. I am sorry, Daphne. Truly and deeply sorry. I hope you can forgive me."

She was looking at him in confusion and he knew that he should explain. But at that moment, all he wanted to do was cry.

 **A/N: Thank you for reading Ch 3. Reviews are appreciated.**


	4. Chapter 4

"Niles, sweetheart, what's wrong?"

Before he could protest, she was out of her seat, taking his hand coaxing him out of his. Her arms went around him and to his horror, a small sob escaped. He hadn't meant to become so emotional. He wanted to forget about what brought them to this moment, and just enjoy the happiness that they had shared. But it haunted him and he knew that unless he was completely honest with his love, his past would continue to haunt him for a long time.

Her fingertips went to his cheeks, brushing away the tears that were embarrassingly making their way in rivers down his face. And then he was in her arms, inhaling her wonderful sent, dampening her beautiful dress with his ridiculous sadness.

"Sweetheart, what is it? Don't cry, darling. It's all right." She was saying, whispering into his ear. "Please, tell me what's wrong."

He drew back and kissed her, smiling sadly at the way her beautiful face was blurred by his sadness. "I'm sorry, Daphne. I'm so sorry. I've ruined this night and I planned for it for so long. I'm so sorry."

"Niles, stop apologizing. You didn't ruin anything. It was the most wonderful dinner I've ever had in me life. And I hope you'll take me to that restaurant. I know it's more of a restaurant that you and your brother like to go to, but-."

"I will, Daphne. I'll take you anywhere. I'll do anything for you. You know that I love you and I always will. I just-."

"Niles what is it? Please tell me. You're scaring me."

He took her hand and led her to her chair. She sat down and watched as he went to get his own chair and moved it next to hers. And then he took both of her hands and stared deeply into her eyes.

"Daphne, something has bothered me since that night… three hundred and sixty five days ago."

"Niles, I don't know what you mean. What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about Mel. Daphne, I'm sorry that I was such a coward. I'm sorry that-."

Her fingers grasped his cheeks (gently of course) preventing him from speaking further. "Niles Crane, just stop it right now. There's nothing to apologize for. You're not a coward at all. You're a brave and incredible man and I love you very much. I'm sorry that I got so angry at you that night. The way you stood up to her…" Daphne's voice broke and tears slid down her cheeks. "I was so proud of you and I realized that I loved you even more than before. Finally we could be together. And the fact that you offered to take me anywhere-."

"I will take you anywhere, Daphne. Anywhere at all, just name the place."

She looked around and smiled. "This place looks pretty perfect. Thank you, Niles, for this wonderful dinner. It was incredible and such a perfect way to spend our anniversary. I'm sorry I was confused about the occasion at first. But I promise that I'll never forget that day and what it meant to me; the walk we took that night in the park, your arm around me shoulders, my head resting against your chest. I might not have remembered the exact date, but you can be sure that I'll never forget this day either, as long as I live." She moved to kiss him but he drew back and smiled at her confusion.

"Niles, what are you-."

"There's more…"

Obediently she rose to her feet following him around the corner. And she gasped yet again. "Niles…"

He looked at their surroundings in satisfaction and smiled, drawing his beautiful wife into his arms. Everything was perfect; more than perfect. "Happy anniversary, my love."

 **A/N: Thanks for reading Ch 4. Reviews are appreciated.**


	5. Chapter 5

In the corner of the rooftop, laid out exactly as Niles had requested were the things that were sure to make the evening… their anniversary… the greatest night of his life. Even greater, perhaps, than the blissful night of the Snow Ball when Daphne had kissed him for the first time.

He smiled at the sight the inflated (and very bright colored) blue and pink child's swimming pool that was adorned with bears and clowns. It was surprisingly large for a child's pool and looked to have just enough room for two adults to fit inside it snugly. And, as he'd requested, the pool was filled not with water, but with pillows and blankets. He was certain that once they were settled into the makeshift bed, they'd have a perfect view of the rare starry night.

He felt Daphne's hand squeeze his and he led her to the place where they would spend the rest of the evening. And in doing so, he pointed out the other surprise. On the wall directly opposite them, hung a large white sheet. His eyes moved to beside the pool, where, as requested, a DVD player/projector sat, waiting to be used. With one flick of a button, the screen was illuminated with the image of Audrey Hepburn. She was beautiful, there was no doubt about that, but no one could compare to the woman who had wrapped her arms around him.

"Oh Niles… Me favorite movie!" she beamed, gasping as she kissed his cheek.

"There's more." He noted with a grin. At her curious glance, he took a few steps closer to the child's pool and like magic, produced a bottle of champagne, two glasses and a bucket of popcorn.

"Niles…" She replied, kissing him deeply. "I don't know how to thank you for all of this…"

He grinned mischievously. "I know a way."

Their clothes slipped off, article by article until only a few garments remained. He took her into his arms and led her to the pool where they fell against the blankets and pillows, kissing as though making up for lost time. Their kisses became more and more passionate until they finally began to make love. The night, and the way Daphne was touching him so gently, pleasing him with every turn, every touch and every caress, was like nothing he'd ever felt before. And he wanted to experience this heavenly bliss again and again. He knew that he'd never tire of it.

They awoke a short time later, after having fallen asleep in each other's arms. The rest of the evening was spent enjoying the romantic Audrey Hepburn movie while sipping champagne and eating popcorn.

When the movie ended, Niles turned to his love and kissed her cheek. "Happy anniversary, Daphne."

She kissed him softly, but passionately, the way he loved to be kissed. "Happy anniversary, Niles."

They fell onto the pillows once again, making love until the sun made an appearance just over the mountains.

As he kissed her lips, never wanting to stop, Niles knew that the next 365 days, and for all of eternity, he'd never find another woman that he loved more than Daphne… for they belonged together forever.

 _ **THE END**_

 _ **A/N: Thanks for reading Ch 5. Reviews are appreciated.  
**_


End file.
